The first team besides host Germany to clinch a 2006 World Cup berth, Japan will be one of three teams attempting to dethrone defending champion Brazil in Group F. Finishing first in the Asia qualifying draw, Japan won five of its six games, despite scoring only nine goals total.

It was back-to-back victories over Bahrain that pushed Japan closer to its World Cup berth. A win over Korea DPR secured its ticket to Germany. Despite already being assured a spot in the World Cup, Japan continued its momentum with a final home victory over Iran.

The 2006 World Cup will be Japan's third consecutive FIFA tournament appearance. However, before appearing in France in 1998 and Korea in 2002, the Japan national team never competed in the World Cup. On top of that, Japan can also add back-to-back Asian titles to its resume, capturing victory in 2000 and 2004.

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Frenchman Phillippe Troussier, up until its second round loss in the 2002 World Cup, had led Japan. After its World Cup defeat, Japan would name Zico as new head coach. He would proceed to lead his team to the AFC Asian Cup in 2004, defeating hosts China in the final, 3-1.

Japan World Cup 2006 Team Odds: Sportsbooks has listed Japan at 180/1 odds to win the World Cup.

Strengths:
One key element that makes Japan a formidable team is its midfield line-up. Arguably the best unit in Asia, the trio of Hidetoshi Nakata, Shunsuke Nakamura and Shinji Ono, members of European club teams, strike fear in the heart of opposing defenses. Japan also boasts a free-kick specialist by the name of Mitsuo Ogasawara that has an exceptionally strong leg, fully capable of setting up his teammates for the strike.

Some say Nakata, who is the two-time Asian Player of the Year, could be the best footballer its country has ever produced. Oguro is another player to note that has stepped up immensely, scoring some vital goals in its qualifying stages.

Weaknesses:
With so much talk about its talented midfield group, Japan still seems to have some issues with scoring goals consistently. In its six qualifying matches, Japan was only able to net nine goals, while allowing just four. Knowing that Japan dominated its Asia draw, it will need to be more offensively capable if it desires to defeat the likes of fellow group members Brazil and Croatia. Japan failed to score more that two goals in any of its matches, both qualifying and international friendly matches.

Defense will be important if Japan cannot outscore its opponents. After struggling earlier this year, a media outlet in Japan called out the team's main weakness. A headline in Japan's Nikkan Sports newspaper read, "Japan's 4-4-2 formation is on the verge of collapsing." With a tie to Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 3-2 loss to the United States, the media cites lack of height from some of its defenders, as well as common mistakes made by its goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.

Outlook:
Although Japan brings a solid team into Germany, capable of advancing into the elimination round, it will have to face some tough competition throughout group play. Defending champion Brazil should be the easy favorite to win Group F, but Japan will need to play well in order to finish second ahead of Croatia. Up-and-coming Australia rounds out the group, and no match should come easy to Japan.

Having reached the second round on its home soil in 2002, Japan knows what it takes to advance. Outside of Brazil, no other team will be a guarantee to advance, so Japan will have to play exceptionally well in all three of its group play matches.

Japan World Cup 2006 First Round Schedule (all times local):

Saturday June 12, Group F4 Japan v Group F1 Australia -- Kaiserslautern - 15:00

Thursday Jun 18, Group F4 Japan v Group F2 Croatia -- Nuremburg - 15:00

Tuesday June 22, Group F4 Japan v Group F1 Brazil -- Dortmund - 21:00

Updated Japan World Cup 2006 News:

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